By Denise Williams, Innovation Director, New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership

About 18 months ago, Aztec Machine and Repair of Bloomfield sent its management and supervisory personnel, as well as its production floor workers, to a class in the fundamentals of lean manufacturing given by the New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership, or MEP – a nonprofit agency that helps small and midsized U.S. businesses create and preserve jobs by implementing money- and time-saving production and administration measures.

Aztec – which provides machining and fabrication services for the many oil, gas and mining industries in the Four Corners area – had two goals for the training: to increase the lean manufacturing literacy of its work force and to generate momentum toward its next goal of becoming ISO registered.

ISO registration is proof that a company complies with global quality management standards in producing its product or service. Because many major purchasers and companies require their suppliers to have this registration, training coordinator Manuel Figueroa and company owner Tim Montoya felt it would show Aztec’s clients that the company performed consistent and reliable work and allow the company to expand its outreach.

Raising Awareness

The MEP class helped all two dozen Aztec employees break down the steps involved in their work, Figueroa said. “The most significant change was an awareness of the need to define the processes – how we do what we do.”

Aztec Machine is a custom job shop that specializes in hydraulic and industrial repair, but it also fabricates machined products and tools used in the industries it serves.

“Elements of lean manufacturing don’t necessarily coincide 100 percent to a job shop,” Figueroa said, but training the company’s workers in the basic elements and concepts of lean manufacturing showed them how to work better, faster and easier to help the company become more competitive.

While some variation is unavoidable when building a product or providing a service, lean manufacturing strives to minimize variations and eliminate obstructions that add expenses. Activities that don’t add value are inefficiencies that customers don’t want to pay for, so they need to be minimized.

After helping Aztec train its work force, MEP provided further assistance toward the company’s ISO registration efforts.

The class “spurred a lot of discussion and ideas,” Figueroa said. “Both [the MEP class and ISO registration process] emphasize the active participation of all employees in the focus on customer satisfaction.”

On- and Off-Site Training

New Mexico MEP is part of a nationwide network that exists to help businesses innovate and streamline production and administration. Businesses can send employees to MEP’s training sessions or receive on-site help applying quality management and lean management principles in offices and factories. All New Mexico businesses can take advantage of MEP training, and financial assistance is available to qualifying businesses that need it.

MEP serves businesses from its offices in Albuquerque, Roswell and Farmington by deploying consultants known as innovation directors to all parts of the state. It is supported by federal, state and private funds, and works in collaboration with the New Mexico Economic Development Department to help businesses prepare for ISO registration.

For more information about New Mexico MEP or to find upcoming training sessions, visit newmexicomep.org or call (505) 262-0921.

Download 294_Aztec Company Puts Lean Production Philosophy to Work PDF

Called QR for “quick response,” the codes were created in 1994 by Japanese automakers to track parts. Now companies around the world use them to link consumers directly to their websites, where they can shop and find coupons, special offers and product information.

While QR codes are already considered outmoded by the creators of next-generation apps that link the physical and virtual worlds in quicker and more entertaining ways, at least one New Mexico advertising agency believes QR codes haven’t outlived their usefulness and are more reliable than newer so-called “hardlinking” technologies.

Defining the Value

Reading QR codes requires a scanner that’s available as a smartphone application. The scanner converts the image to an Internet address, where the digital content is posted. Without the smartphone, the QR code is unreadable, making it worthless to people whose mobile phones lack Internet connectivity.

While the smartphone audience is finite, so is the audience of newspaper readers and radio listeners, said Brittany Johnson, social media manager at Las Cruces-based Wilson Binkley Advertising and Marketing. QR codes are just one tool among many, and they’re appropriate if they provide something of value to the customer, such as convenience or a reward.

“We only use it when we feel it will benefit the [advertising] client,” Johnson said of the codes. “We do use it with retail clients, who use codes to provide promotions or coupons or direct people to their Facebook page, which helps them build their email database.

“If a QR code just directs you to a website, it’s not effective. Someone can type in the website address just as quickly.”

Redundancy is just one of the problems that led AdAge magazine’s B.L. Ochman in March to declare QR codes “history.” Competition from emerging technologies, such as faster and more efficient invisible electronic codes, will push QR codes aside, she predicted. But advertisers bear part of the blame for failing to explain to the public what the codes are and how to use them, and some applications — on billboards or other inaccessible spots — were ill-conceived.

Not Just a Fad

While Johnson acknowledges these problems, she said it’s too early to dismiss QR codes even as new technology comes into play.

QR codes are most effective, she said, “when they’re incorporated with traditional media” to broaden the appeal of an advertiser’s message. A print ad, for example, might include a QR code that smartphone users can scan to find more information about a featured product or get directions to the store.

If used as part of a strategic marketing approach, QR codes on business cards, receipts, product packaging, brochures and other marketing materials can connect with customers by offering product discounts or access to customer feedback or product registration forms.

QR codes and their next-generation cousins appear to be more than a passing fad as they offer marketers new ways to engage consumers and encourage them to act.

Download 293_QR Codes Create Avenue for Targeted Marketing PDF

By Harry Buysse, Consultation Program Manager, New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau

While employers in New Mexico are required to provide safe, hazard-free workplaces, they don’t have to hire expensive consultants to identify and eliminate potential dangers.

The New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau has compliance specialists who work with small businesses, trade groups and unions that want help establishing worksites that are as risk-free and healthy as possible. That goal of such cooperative programs is to reduce industrial injuries and illnesses and lower the costs associated with workplace hazards, including workers’ compensation claims and loss of business productivity.

These consultations are voluntary and confidential, and they cost the employer nothing. On-site consultants don’t issue citations or penalties during their visits, and they don’t report to the bureau’s inspectors the unsafe or unhealthy conditions they discover. They only require a commitment from employers to swiftly correct any safety hazards or dangerous practices identified in the visit. Businesses can even qualify for a one-year exemption from routine inspections by the OHSB.

Safety Makes Business Sense

Workplace safety isn’t just a legal requirement. It’s also a good business practice with a respectable return on investment. According to the national Occupational Safety and Health Administration, “an effective safety and health program can save $4 to $6 for every $1 invested.”

A business that meets state and federal safety standards spends less money on liability insurance and enjoys the increased productivity that comes with fewer work stoppages due to accidents, fatalities and injuries; fewer lost workdays; and less damage to equipment and products. Employees who feel safe at work are more productive and less distracted by fears that they’re working in an unsafe, unhealthy place.

Besides identifying existing workplace hazards, compliance specialists can help businesses develop safety programs tailored to their industry, workplace culture and circumstances. The objective is to encourage employers to approach workplace safety as an ongoing concern of all employees at all levels.

A successful safety program goes further than just posting the company’s safety and health policies in a prominent place — though that’s important too. It includes soliciting safety ideas from employees and responding to their concerns about hazardous materials, unhealthy working conditions and risks that might not be immediately obvious.

State-Specific Laws

All federal laws that apply to workplace safety apply in New Mexico as well. But the state has some laws that exceed federal guidelines in a few areas and laws that address problems not covered by federal standards.

For example, in 2004, in response to a rash of assaults — some fatal — on convenience store workers, the state passed laws requiring security cameras at convenience stores and beefed up staffing on evening shifts. Other state-specific rules aim to protect the health of agricultural workers and public sector firefighters.

The New Mexico OHSB, which is part of the New Mexico Environment Department, oversees safety compliance in all private and public sector workplaces except for those under exclusive federal jurisdiction. Exceptions include workplaces on Indian reservations and military bases and in the maritime and mining industries.

For more information about the OHSB’s compliance resources and consultants, call (505) 476-8720 or visit www.nmenv.state.nm.us/Ohsb_Website/.

Download 292_Voluntary Program Helps Small Businesses Assure Workplace Safety Compliance PDF

By Luis Duran, Functional Site Manager, New Mexico Workforce Connection, Santa Fe office

Rose Marie Law first used the employment screening services of the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions even before she became director of human resources for Jemez Mountain Electrical Co-op, a nonprofit utility started in 1947 to serve residents of Jemez Springs and now generating electrical power for Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, San Juan, McKinley and Sandoval counties.

While the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Local 611 provides journeyman electricians through its apprenticeship program, Law is responsible for hiring clerical and warehouse workers for the utility’s offices in Jemez Springs, Cuba and Española.

When jobs come open at the utility, the Department of Workforce Solutions helps Law assess the skills and abilities of her top candidates with a WorkKeys test. The assessment distills the lists of finalists to those who have the problem-solving abilities, math skills and work habits required in the open jobs.

The result, Law said, has been a better match of candidates to jobs and less remedial training of new employees. The free service is available to companies of all sizes — for-profit and nonprofit — but is especially useful to small businesses that don’t have the recruitment resources of large corporations and government employers.

How it works

While a résumé summarizes an applicant’s training and work experience, it doesn’t give the complete picture. The WorkKeys assessment, Law said, “gives more insight into what their work ethics are and how they handle tasks.”

WorkKeys assessments test applicants on basic skills essential to all jobs, such as reading, math and an ability to be resourceful — to know where to find accurate information and obtain answers to questions. The department works with employers to measure more specific skills required by some jobs, and the test can be calibrated to evaluate the potential of existing employees to advance to higher-level positions.

Laws sends applicants for testing after placing an ad, sifting through résumés and interviewing finalists who seem like potential matches. During the daylong test, applicants are scored on core abilities, and employers can use these scores to narrow the candidate list before doing background checks.

Candidates who complete the testing qualify for a Career Readiness Certificate that confirms their skills, even if they don’t land the first job they test for.

While she hasn’t computed the savings, Law is certain the utility has conserved time and money not having to train workers whose skills aren’t what they appeared to be on paper and has minimized the type of turnover costs that result when employees and jobs are bad fits.

Multiple services

WorkKeys assessments are among the many services offered at the New Mexico Workforce Connection’s 23 statewide offices and on the website.

Employers can post open jobs on the site at no cost and learn about incentives for making their workplaces accessible to disabled customers and employees (Disabled Access Tax Incentives) and tax credits they can claim for hiring residents of an empowerment zone (Empowerment Zone Employment Credit) or applicants who are veterans, ex-felons or recipients of public assistance (Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program).

For more information and a list of statewide offices, visit the New Mexico Workforce Connection at www.dws.state.nm.us.

Download 291_State Agency Helps Employers Match Applicants Jobs PDF

By Joe Justice, Loan Officer, The Loan Fund

Jose Ocampo launched his Santa Fe Exclusive Honda and Acura auto repair and parts business 13 years ago in a small building in the New Mexico capital. He outgrew the space within three years and moved to a larger facility nearby.

As his business continued to grow, Ocampo started looking around for “a building with better parking and more room” that would be better to meet his customers’ needs and comfort.

About a year ago he found an ideal spot on Siler Lane with a metal building with 2,000 square feet of warehouse space. The lot was particularly attractive because it could accommodate construction of a 2,000-square-foot workspace addition.

He applied for a loan with The Loan Fund — a nonprofit, alternative lender that specializes in lending to small businesses and startups — and construction began on the garage and service-bays addition once soil testing and surveys were completed. In early March, Ocampo moved into his new auto shop.

Ocampo moved to the United States from Nicaragua in 1980 after his family was granted political asylum here. He was 4 at the time.

After a tour of duty in the U.S. Marine Corps and a few years at the University of New Mexico, he set his sights on being a mechanic and eventually opening his own shop. He graduated from the Universal Technical Institute in Phoenix and moved to Santa Fe to work in a friend’s shop until he was ready to go solo.

Having his own business “was just something I wanted to do,” Ocampo said. After reaching that milestone at the age of 24, his next goal was to buy his own building, which would increase the value of his business and give him a tangible asset he could sell in the future.

For the first time in his life as a sole proprietor, Ocampo began shopping around for a business loan. He heard about The Loan Fund from a friend and worked with its loan officers to restructure his business as a limited liability company called ExclusiveLand and secure money for his new shop.

Since then, he said, “Everything’s come into place. We’ve started paying back the loan.”

The Loan Fund works with its clients to tailor loans to their resources. It keeps the paperwork simple and payment schedules flexible. And it provides expert advice to small-business clients with big ambitions — people like Ocampo.

The Loan Fund, like a handful of other nonprofit alternative lenders in New Mexico, is able to work with startups and entrepreneurs because it draws on money provided by the New Mexico Small Business Investment Corporation. Since its creation in 2001, the program has assisted small businesses that generate employment in the state.

Since joining forces with NMSBIC in 2004, The Loan Fund has provided almost $20 million in financing to more than 380 businesses statewide using NMSBIC funds.

The Loan Fund can be reached toll free at 866-873-6746 or online at www.loanfund.org. For more information about NMSBIC, visit www.nmsbic.org.

Download 290_The Loan Fund Helps Veteran Buy Building To Expand Business PDF

By Carmen Martinez, director, Small Business Development Center at San Juan College

Business owners don’t need a degree in accounting, but they do need to know how to read basic financial statements and when to ask the accountants who prepare them to explain what they don’t understand.

No one wants to be like the business owner who believed she was making a profit because her checkbook had a positive balance. But even business owners who diligently record financial transactions using basic accounting software don’t always comprehend the reports their CPA generates based on these records.

That means they’re not using the expertise they pay for, and they’re not using the numbers as tools to build their business.

The three financial reports every business owner should understand are the profit and loss statement, the balance sheet and the cash flow statement.

Profit and loss: The P&L, or income, statement shows how much profit a company makes — or doesn’t make — over a given period. The statement reports revenues, expenses, gains and losses. If a positive balance remains once expenses and losses are subtracted from revenues and gains, the result is net income. If the balance is negative, the statement shows a net loss.

Understanding the profit and loss statement helps the owner understand why he’s making or losing money and suggests where to trim expenses. Knowing the difference between fixed and variable expenses helps him make this decision. Variable expenses — such as raw materials and sales commissions — increase or decrease with changes in production. But fixed expenses — like rent, phone service and loan payments — are paid even if sales are flat.

Balance sheet: The balance sheet tallies a company’s assets, liabilities and shareholder’s or owner’s equity at a specific moment, offering a summary of the company’s financial strength.

Assets are what a company owns, and they include cash, accounts receivable, inventory, supplies, land, equipment and trademarks or other intellectual property. Liabilities represent a company’s obligations, such as accounts and wages payable, unearned revenues and income taxes owed. Owner’s equity in a sole proprietorship or shareholder’s equity in a corporation shows a company’s book value — its assets minus its liabilities.

Banks use the balance sheet to determine if a business has enough assets to qualify for a loan, and owners need it to assess their business’s health.

Cash flow statement: An owner needs to know how much cash enters and exits a company over a given period by way of operating, investing, financing and other activities, and that’s the purpose of the cash flow statement.

A company that’s making a profit can still fail if it doesn’t have the resources to pay its bills when they’re due because of uneven or inconsistent cash flow. If a business doesn’t have enough cash to survive the slow periods, the owner needs to review the cash flow statement and make adjustments. If the business has more cash than it needs, it should invest excess money in an interest-bearing account to create more wealth for the business.

Download 289_Basic Financial Literacy Essential for Business Owners PDF

By Lisa Adkins, Director of the BioScience Center

“Crowdfunding” is a way that startups can raise money to get a project or enterprise off the ground without company founders having to surrender ownership, secure a loan or approach foundations for elusive grants.

Earlier incarnations of the practice didn’t have the advantage of instant access to a global fan base that can grow exponentially through social media. The Internet created that access, and crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter.com and IndieGoGo.com created platforms where people could pitch their projects.

Aqua Research, a resident company in the BioScienceCenter incubator in Albuquerque, is using IndieGoGo to raise $50,000 by May 10 to finance production of its H2gO water purifier, which can turn up to five gallons of unsafe water at a time into potable water using a solar-powered rechargeable cell-phone battery.

QueLab, an Albuquerque nonprofit raised twice as much money as it needed on Kickstarter to secure the materials to build a three-dimensional printer for its “maker-space,” a creative workspace where people collaborate on innovations “at the intersections of science, culture, art and technology.”

Thirst for invention

The h2gO Purifier’s inventor, Rodney Herrington, also invented its predecessor, the MSR MIOX Purifier, used for years by the U.S. military. Private funding underwrote research and development of this next-generation device, but now the company wants to begin production, obtain certifications and conduct field-testing.

The purifier uses electrolytes to convert salt into a powerful disinfectant that’s added to impure water, making safe drinking water in about 30 minutes. The device is recharged via its integrated solar panel.

As of mid-March, 82 funders had contributed $9,942 toward Aqua Research’s goal. Unlike Kickstarter, IndieGoGo isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition. Project sponsors can keep whatever they raise, but the fee paid to the crowdfunding site is higher (9 percent verses 4 percent) when projects fall short of their target.

Those contribution at least $55 to Aqua Research will receive one of the purifiers when they’re produced. For details, see http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/h2go-quest-to-create-the-best-personal-water-purifier.

Power of abundance

QueLab raised $2,200 — twice its $900 goal — in 30 days earlier this year to buy a 3-D printer, a computer dedicated to the printer and printing filament. The nonprofit’s members and visitors can use the printer, once it’s built, to fabricate things for fun or profit.

Because the money raised from crowdfunding isn’t a loan, it doesn’t have to be repaid. But getting a project funded requires coordination, good financial planning and an appealing message, QueLab board member Ray Finch emphasized. It isn’t “free.”

“You have to set it up so people want to give you money,” he said. “And you have to be prepared — you have to have your perks [rewards to donors] ready, and your goal has to be reasonable and attainable.”

Finch said he was surprised how quickly the group raised — and exceeded — its goal. The extra money will finance a second, more experimental printer. The organization hopes to use the platform again for other projects — once it finds a larger space for its growing venture.

QueLab thanked its backers with T-shirts, public mentions and — best of all — access to the “maker-space” and all its creative tools. To view QueLab’s pitch, visit http://www.indiegogo.com/quelabprinter.

The BioScience Center, located in Uptown Albuquerque, is the only incubator/accelerator in New Mexico focused on nurturing bioscience and life-science startups. It has more than 40 offices and eight wet (chemistry and microbiology) laboratories totaling 2,500 square feet and shared facilities that include reception, IT infrastructure, group purchasing and conference space. Founded and managed by entrepreneurs who have considerable experience creating, nurturing and exiting successful businesses, The BioScience Center is the place for fledgling bio companies.

Download 288_Innovators Learn the Benefits Challenges of Crowdfunding PDF

By Denise Williams, Innovation Director, New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Henry Production Inc. of Farmington puts a premium on training. The 51-year-old company is a one-stop oilfield service company, selling and maintaining compressors and pumps used in the oil and natural gas industry, servicing and overhauling engines and fabricating skids and piping, among other things.

Because machine technology is always changing, the company sponsors a 16-week class once a year to ensure its newer technicians understand the mechanical systems they’re working with. Even seasoned techs take refresher courses to stay on top of technological advances.

The company also sends its employees to classes and workshops offered by the New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a nonprofit that helps small and midsized U.S. businesses become more profitable by adopting streamlined processes of production and administration.

All of the company’s 100 employees have been trained in one or more aspects of lean manufacturing, and some have had more than one type of training, according to Anita Peralta, human resources manager. It’s all part of Henry Production’s effort to “make the process and work areas more efficient,” Peralta said. “When you’re efficient, you’re more productive” and productivity translates into profitability.

All Hands on Deck

Most recently, MEP trainers visited Henry Production’s Pump & Service shop to see how the company could streamline its work overhauling engines and other machine parts.

The trainers used value stream mapping to deconstruct every step of a typical job — starting with how an order is placed and ending with delivery of the repaired engine to the client — with an eye to eliminating any steps that didn’t add value to the finished product.

Mapping involves comparing the real-world process to an idealized plan of how it would operate if waste and redundancy were eliminated. The end result is a “reconstructed” procedure that’s stripped to its essentials so products can get to customers as soon as possible.

The value stream training was done in-house, and every employee was involved in the reorganization of workstations to eliminate wasteful bottlenecks.

“MEP helps you look at all the processes in a way that will help you get the best out of your shop,” said Roy Scott, vice president of the company’s Rotating Equipment division. “It has helped the productivity of the Pump & Service shop.”

Henry Production has applied lean manufacturing and efficiency standards companywide, from its accounting department to the cadre of technicians who drive to remote oilfields to service or deliver parts and equipment. The company recently installed global positioning systems in its entire fleet to monitor the progress of fieldwork and be alert to the safety of workers who might be beyond the reach of cellphone service.

The point is to make sure that all parts of this evolving company are working for the benefit of the whole.

Here to Help

New Mexico MEP is part of a nationwide network dedicated to innovations that improve the abilities of smaller businesses to be productive and competitive. Most New Mexico businesses qualify for financial assistance to attend the organization’s training sessions or to receive on-site help applying lean practices from the office to the manufacturing floor.

For more information about New Mexico MEP workshops or training sessions, visit newmexicomep.org or call (505) 262-0921.

Download 287_Farmington Company Well Schooled in Lean Manufacturing Techniques PDF

Jordan van Rijn, NM Loan Officer, Accion New Mexico ∙ Arizona ∙ Colorado

Many Americans long to see where their talents as inventors or craftsmen or cooks can take them. But businesses often struggle in their early years, and this makes some lenders wary of financing enterprises that don’t have an established track record. After repeated rejections from potential funders, many entrepreneurs simply give up.

Organizations like Accion are one option for the aspiring entrepreneur who can’t secure a loan through a more traditional financial institution, such as a bank or credit union. But getting a loan requires some groundwork, no matter where she looks.

The Five C’s

Traditional lenders evaluate loan requests on the basis of the client’s character, capital, collateral, capacity and conditions – the 5 C’s of credit.

The lender measures character by observing the client’s punctuality, organization and understanding of the size and purpose of the loan. They listen to what references say and what his credit history demonstrates about his commitment to pay off debts. They review the business plan to see how well it reflects the client’s experience, strategy and commitment.

Existing capital is a plus for an aspiring entrepreneur and a way for the lender to assess the borrower’s personal investment in the business.

Collateral is what a business pledges to secure a loan. These assets are a secondary source of repayment if the borrower defaults on the debt. Real estate, equipment, machinery, vehicles and certificates of deposit are good callateral.

Capacity measures the borrower’s ability to assume new debt. Lenders weigh how much credit the client can draw on, how much debt she has and how her debts compare with her income. They make cash flow predictions to assure the business will have cash to pay bills when they’re due.

Lenders want to know how the client’s business will weather economic conditions and what trends are driving its industry. They might be cautious underwriting a new video store, for example, if consumers increasingly prefer direct movie downloads.

Where’s the Money?

Entrepreneurs approach banks, credit unions and alternative investors for startup capital.  And some entrepreneurs are using the internet to find backers for worthy causes or projects through crowdfunding. Under current economic conditions, banks and credit unions issue loans with interest rates between 5 and 12 percent. A credit union will typically lend to members only. Both banks and credit unions have strict requirements, and few lend money to startups.

Government-backed U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans are funded by banks that participate in SBA lending programs.  The SBA provides a loan guarantee of up to 80 percent of the principal, and the interest rate – which  is determined by the participating lender – is typically in the range of prime rate plus 3 to 4 percent. Current rates are about 6 to 7 percent. The SBA funds startups, but the application process may not be ideal for entrepreneurs with a short timeline within which to fill their capital needs.

Alternative lenders like Accion, The Loan Fund and WESST offer flexibility, mentorship, quick turnaround and a willingness to support new ventures. Loan terms are often tailored to the use of the loan and the business’s cash flow. While small and microloans may be offered, the loan ceiling is often lower than with banks.

High-risk risk businesses that require substantial startup capital sometimes solicit money from private investors, but they usually must surrender a share in ownership, governance and profits.

Getting Ready

Once an entrepreneur has considered her needs and options, she needs to get her 5 C’s in order. The New MexicoSmallBusinessDevelopmentCenter network or SCORE counselors can help her write a business plan, or she can consult online resources, such as those found at financenewmexico.org.

To learn more about Accion, visit accionnm.org.

Download 286_Know the Landscape Before Requesting a Small Business Loan PDF

Eric Renz-Whitmore, Founding Executive Director, New Mexico Tech Council

Developers, designers, marketers, product managers and startup enthusiasts gathered March 1-3 in Santa Fe for a marathon of brainstorming, team building and product testing aimed at transforming entrepreneurial impulses into viable ventures.

More than 60 people showed up for the inaugural Startup Weekend Santa Fe, a 48-hour intensive, immersive collaboration known to the tech world as a hackathon. Participants pitched 32 ideas for marketable products or services, formed 16 teams around the most feasible ideas and ended the weekend with 10 groups presenting projects to judges.

A proposal to develop a broadcast platform for amateur sporting events — dubbed SportXast by its Santa Fe and Los Alamos team members — emerged the winner. Prizes included a trademark package — with free consultations, trademark search and filing fees — from Leverage Legal Group, an event sponsor; a two-month membership in the Santa Fe Business Incubator’s small-business program; a small-business membership in the New Mexico Technology Council, a member-driven organization of tech-savvy innovators; and free admission to the next Startup Weekend, tentatively set for mid-June in Albuquerque.

The judges identified ZymoStat as a runner-up. ZymoStat’s creator hopes to revolutionize the home-based craft-brewing industry.

Startup Weekend began in Seattle but has grown into a global grassroots movement of entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding startups. Sponsors of the local event included Los Alamos Connect, New Mexico Angels, City of Santa Fe, Regional Development Corporation, Leverage Legal Group and Verge Fund. Several other groups provided speakers and coaches and helped promote the event.

How the Weekend Works

Most who attend Startup Weekend have technical or design backgrounds or are business professionals. All come with ideas for a commercial innovation.

Startup Weekend Santa Fe participants

Attendees present their ideas first thing Friday night, and participants vote on those with the greatest potential. Teams form around these top projects, and participants spend Saturday and Sunday creating and validating a business model, developing a hypothetical market and tweaking their approach based on expert feedback. Teams design a streamlined production method and build a minimal prototype.

Late Sunday, they pitch products to judges who are local business owners or experts in the technology industry. They explain how the product is used and how they see it making money and receive critical feedback from the judges, who then choose the idea they consider best.

Some projects germinated at Startup Weekend events find funding and evolve into companies. As a rule, more than 36 percent of Startup Weekend startups are still alive three months after their debut.

Other ideas are abandoned as unrealistic, but their creators learn valuable lessons from the experience. They meet potential collaborators, mentors and investors and learn to work with others to meet a tight deadline. And they learn how to navigate the turbulent world of startup businesses.

Staying Connected

Outside of Startup Weekend, tech fans can nurture their creative impulses by visiting the NMTC website and hooking up with individuals working to expand the state’s technology sector.

NMTC members use all forms of social media to exchange ideas, promote activities and stay connected. Active groups include the Cybersecurity Working Group, the Policy Working Group and the Women in Technology Peer Group.

For more information about Startup Weekend or the NMTC, visit nmtechcouncil.org.

Download 285_Startup Weekend Sets Ideas In Motion PDF